Joel 2

₁You must blow the trumpet

and shout_loudly on Mount_Zion,

my holy_mountain at Jerusalem.

Everyone who lives in the land

must tremble, because

the day_of_the_Lord is coming.

That day is near.

₂It will be very dark on that day,

and the clouds will be black.

The locusts will be like very strong soldiers.

They will be everywhere on the mountains

and they will make everything dark.

As the light shines over the mountains

in the morning,

the locusts will be everywhere on the mountains.

There have never been so many locusts

in a land and there will never again be so many.

₃Where the first locusts eat, it looks

like a fire burning everything,

and when the last locust has finished,

there is nothing in the field,

like a field that has been burnt down.

Before the locusts come,

the field looks like a beautiful garden

and when they leave, the field looks like a desert.

Nothing can live there.

There is nothing left over.

₄The locusts look like horses,

and they run as fast as horses.

₅They make a noise like war-chariots

riding over the mountains.

They make a noise like chaff burning in a fire,

a noise like many soldiers make

when they go to war.

₆All the nations tremble

when the locusts come.

The people fear and their faces become pale.

₇The locusts run like soldiers

who are going to war,

and they climb over the walls of the city.

They go straight ahead,

and they don't turn left or right.

₈They don't push each other away.

Each one goes its own way.

The people try to kill a lot of the locusts with stones,

but they don't stop, and they keep on coming.

₉They run into the city, they run over the walls,

they climb up the houses,

and they climb through the windows like thieves.

₁₀When the locusts come,

the earth shakes and heaven trembles.

The sun and the moon become dark

and the stars don't shine anymore.

₁₁It is the Lord Himself who brings the locusts.

The locusts are his soldiers.

He calls them to come.

There are a lot of soldiers

and they are strong,

and they all listen to Him.

Yes, the day_of_the_Lord will be a very bad day.

It is such a bad day that no one

will stay alive after that day.

₁₂But the Lord says there is still time,

and it is not too late. He says:

‘Come back to Me.

Turn to Me with all your heart

and serve only Me.’

You must fast and cry and mourn.

₁₃Do not show only people

that you are sorry. Show it to the Lord.

Do not just tear your clothes.

You must tear your hearts.

You must turn to the Lord your God,

because He is gracious

and good to people who suffer.

He is patient and full of love.

He wants to forgive people who have sinned.

₁₄Maybe He will forgive your sins

and bless you again.

Then there will again be grain-offerings

and drink-offerings for the Lord your God.

₁₅You must blow the trumpet on Mount_Zion.

You must consecrate a day to the Lord

and everyone must fast on that day.

Call all the people to come together.

₁₆You must call all the people

to come and consecrate the congregation.

All the people must come together,

the old people, the children and the babies

who still drink their mothers' milk.

The bridegrooms and the brides

must also come from their bedrooms.

₁₇Then the priests must stand

between the temple and the altar

and they must cry.

The priests, the people who work

for the Lord, must pray and say:

‘Lord, please feel sorry for your people.

We belong to You, but the other nations

mock us and laugh at us.

Please stop them. They say:

“Where is your God? Why doesn't He help you?” ’

₁₈The Lord loves his land.

He will feel sorry for his people.

₁₉The Lord will tell his people:

‘I will send you all the wheat and wine

and olive oil that you need.

I will help you. The other people

will not laugh at you again.

₂₀The locusts have attacked you

like your enemies

who always came from the north.

But I will send the locusts

far away from you. I will chase them away

to a dry land where nothing can live.

The first locusts will fall into the Dead Sea

and the last locusts will fall into the big sea.

They will all die and it will smell bad.’

Remember, the Lord has done miracles.

₂₁The people of the land must not be afraid.

They must be happy and rejoice

because the Lord has done miracles,

and He can do them again.

₂₂The animals must not be afraid

because the field where they eat

will become green.

The trees will have lots of fruit

and there will be a lot of figs and grapes.

₂₃And you, people of Jerusalem,

you must rejoice because of what

the Lord your God has done for you.

He gives you rain at the right time.

He gives rain early in the year and late in the year

like He has always done.

₂₄The threshing-floors will be full of wheat,

and there will be a lot of wine and olive oil

in the wine-presses.

‘I sent a lot of locusts to you.

There were 4 groups of locusts.

They were my soldiers and there were a lot of them.

But now I will give you back everything

that the locusts have eaten.

₂₆You will have a lot of food,

more than you can eat.

And you will praise the name

of the Lord your God.

I will do miracles for you and the nations

will never again laugh at my people.

₂₇You will know

that I am with the people of Israel.

I am the Lord your God,

and there is no other God.

My people will never be ashamed again.’

‘After this, I will give my Spirit to all people.

Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.

The old and young people will dream

and they will have visions.

₂₉I will also give my Spirit to slaves

and servant girls.

₃₀I will show the people signs.

There will be blood on earth and fire

and smoke in the air.

₃₁The sun will become dark

and the moon will become red.

Then the day_of_the_Lord will come.

It will be the great day that everyone is afraid of.

₃₂And the Lord will save everyone

who worships Him.

He will free everyone

who is still_alive in Jerusalem,

on Mount_Zion.

He will free the people

whom He has called to belong to Him.’